Officials: Progress made at Heartland of Martinsburg to reduce drug-resistant organism

May 1, 2013

MARTINSBURG - Health department and company officials agree progress is being made regarding Heartland of Martinsburg's infection control practices, so much so that a county-ordered temporary ban on short-term admissions was lifted after less than a week.

The ban was issued last month after residents at the facility - which offers long term care as well as short-term rehabilitation services - continued to demonstrate symptoms of a drug-resistant infection, said Berkeley County health officer Dr. Diana Gaviria.

"I definitely think it is fair to say they have made good progress in this area, and we are continuing to work with them to monitor their progress," Gaviria said Tuesday, adding that a joint meeting will be held today with Health Department and Heartland representatives.

Article Photos

Journal photo by Jenni Vincent

Heartland of Martinsburg director of nursing Debi Blair, left, and administrator Nancy Mason review some of the steps — such as employee use of gowns and gloves when providing patient care — being taken to stem a drug-resistant infection found in its residents. The 120-bed facility, which celebrates its 40th anniversary this year, is no longer under a county-ordered ban on short-term admissions.

Gaviria said the company also complied with a Health Department request that efforts be made to educate visitors to the healthcare facility about the infection and efforts to stop it from spreading.

As a result, a fact sheet has been distributed about Carbapenem Resistant Enterobacteriacae or CRE, detailing how it can spread among patients in hospitals and longterm care facilities as well as how difficult it can be to treat since it is "highly resistant to many antibiotics," she said, adding that this type of infection can also be fatal.

CRE can be found in the feces, urine or draining wounds of infected patients. As a result, patient skin, hands and bedding can become infected with the bacteria, as well as environmental features such as doorknobs, bedrails, light switches and bathroom fixtures. Medical equipment such as blood pressure cuffs can become contaminated and healthcare workers can spread CRE if they don't use gowns or gloves when providing care to patients suffering from this ailment.

"The best way to fight this is not high tech, it is really pretty basic - a big emphasis on environmental cleaning and plenty of hand washing," Gaviria said.

Although Heartland was the first facility in the state to have CRE, there have since been "sporadic cases" from other area healthcare facilities, she said.

Heartland administrator Nancy Mason said her staff has "taken a most proactive approach," worked with local officials but also sought other expert advice "in order to discuss patient safety, educating our staff and taking every precaution necessary."

For example, Dr. Vishnu Chundi of Metro Infectious Disease Consulants in Chicago, Ill., who specializes in internal medicine and infectious diseases, reviewed the facility's protocol and found it is "actively following the (federal) Centers for Disease Control" CRE toolkit," Mason said.

She said Dr. Russell Petrak, also from Metro Infectious Disease Consultants, commended the facility for its "proactive attention" to this issue.

"Aimed at identification, education and control, the Heartland of Martinsburg infection control plan makes patient safety their top priority. It's also important to note that this type of drug-resistant organism is not new in health care and has been present in healthcare facilities for decades. But we have actually taken the most proactive approach of any facility in our community," Mason said.

Since February 2011, the facility has conducted 14 point prevalence studies for all patients, and patients are also tested for CRE upon admission, she said. This protocol helps "properly identify and care for patients based on their individual histories and care needs - including having knowledge of any drug-resistant infection the patient may have," she said.

"We are the only longterm care facility in the area with these proactive protocols in place," Mason said.

Since "hand washing remains the best defense against germs," Heartland staff, patients and visitors are encouraged to follow proper techniques and use the hand washing stations located in the hallways, she said.

Now celebrating its 40th anniversary, Heartland has a "long history of delivering quality care to our patients and as a member of the healthcare community, we take any situation such as this very seriously. We remain committed to providing a safe and healthy environment for our patients, residents, their families and our employees," Mason said.